Beyond his role as an Avenger, Mark Ruffalo is one of the finest actors working on the screen and stage today. The three-time Oscar nominee is not only one of the best character actors, but when called for, he's also a tremendous leading man as well. Whether playing small roles in indie films or major parts in massive blockbusters, Ruffalo can do no wrong!
Take 2019 for example. Ruffalo not only starred in Avengers: Endgame, but he also partook in Todd Haynes's legal drama Dark Waters. Two films at the end of the spectrum, yet bonded by the brilliance Ruffalo brings each time out. For a better understanding, here are Mark Ruffalo's 10 best movie roles, ranked!
10 Dwight Arno (Reservation Road)
Starring opposite Joaquin Phoenix, Ruffalo gives an achingly emotional turn as Dwight Arno in the movie Reservation Road!
The film revolves around one unspeakable tragedy that alters the lives of two families forever. One half of the movie tracks Phoenix's character and his family leading up the accident, while the other half focuses on Ruffalo's. The latter plays a young law clerk with a strong bond with his 11-year-old son, Lucas, both of whom are forever changed following their time on Reservation Road.
9 Dylan Rhodes (Now You See Me)
In the two Now You See Me movies, Ruffalo is afforded the rare chance to show off his silly side and comedic chops in a way that isn't redolent of his work as Bruce Banner.
As Dylan Rhodes, Ruffalo excels as a bumbling FBI agent who the conniving Horsemen make a fool out of repeatedly. Every time Dylan thinks he's about to make an arrest, he's left with severe egg on his face as the butt of a practical joke. What makes the role so unique, aside from playing it twice over two films, is how Ruffalo appears to be the smartest man in the room, despite being anything but.
8 Stan (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind)
Who can forget Ruffalo dancing in his tighty-whiteys with Kirsten Dunst over a somnolent Jim Carey in Eternal Sunshine? Yeah, nobody!
As Stan, the awkward technician who operates the hardware that allows one to map a person's mind while they sleep, Ruffalo stands out more than most. Written by Charlie Kaufman, the role is both tender and touching, especially when he voices his feeling for Dunst's uninterested character.
7 Stephen Bloom (The Brothers Bloom)
Under the swift direction of Rian Johnson, Ruffalo's charming wit is on full display as one-half of the criminal Brothers Bloom, one of the richest characters he's been given the chance to play thus far.
The sprawling, globe-trotting heist film concerns the titular siblings, self-declared as the greatest conmen in all the land. But when they plan one last heist before retiring into the sunset with all their loot, they get way more than they bargained for. Ruffalo absolutely owns the role of Stephen opposite Adrien Brody.
6 Rob Bilott (Dark Waters)
Ruffalo's most recent role is easily one of his best. That's what happens when you opt to work with the great Todd Haynes!
In Dark Waters, Ruffalo plays Rob Bilott, a high-profile lawyer bold and brazen enough to take on corporate pollution case. With vast evidence showing that a corporation knowingly polluted their chemical supply, Bilott fights the lawsuit tooth and nail to exonerate the lucrative company. Ruthless, uncompromising, and antithetical to Ruffalo's personal beliefs!
5 Paul (The Kids Are All Right)
Amid the liberal parentage of the people in The Kids Are All Right, Ruffalo's Paul offers the most open-minded humor of all!
When a lesbian couple opts to have babies via artificial insemination, a rigorous process is held to find the perfect male sperm donor. Enter Paul, a happy-go-lucky bohemian landscaper who reenters the lives of the children once they become teenagers. Complicating matters is the budding romance between Paul and mother Jules (Julianne Moore). Ruffalo earned his first Oscar nod for the role!
4 David Schultz (Foxcatcher)
Ruffalo is riveting and unrecognizable as David Shultz, the real-life tragic figure at the heart of the Foxcatcher true-story.
While Steve Carrell won many of the plaudits for his turn, it's Ruffalo who is the heart and soul of the movie. As a result, he earned the second Oscar nomination of his career. The tragic tale of the Shultz brothers, who allowed unstable heir John DuPont to coach their national wrestling team, features Ruffalo in a physical form we've never seen before.
3 Bruce Banner (The Incredible Hulk)
Sure, many to most will argue that Bruce Banner, aka The Incredible Hulk, is the best role Ruffalo has played in his career. However, we'd argue it's not quite his best, but simply his most comprehensive.
Indeed, Ruffalo seems tailor-made to play the role of Bruce Banner. We've seen Ruffalo evolve the character over several MCU movies thus far, most recently in the half-Banner-half-Hulk iteration seen in Avengers: Endgame. Whether Bruce or The Hulk, Ruffalo convinces every time out!
2 Terry (You Can Count On Me)
If you take nothing else away from this list, know that Ruffalo gives one of his all-time best, most heartbreaking and moving performance in You Can Count On Me!
Starring opposite Laura Linney in the splendid Kenneth Lonergan film, plays Terry, a deeply troubled young man with no direction in life. The story follows two estranged siblings who reunite following an unforeseen incident. Unable to get along, Terry instead bonds with his nephew, Rudy (Rory Culkin), before slowly winning back the trust of his big sister.
1 Mike Rezendes (Spotlight)
Yup. When you play a real-life hero in the Best Picture winner of the year it was released, and bag an Oscar nod for your performance in the process, you know it's your best career performance!
Such is the case with Ruffalo in Spotlight, in which he plays the key Boston Globe reporter who writes the scathing expose about the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. Along with his Spotlight team, Mike Rezendes worked doggedly for years pursuing the biggest story of the century. As a true figure, Rezendes is even more heroic than Banner!
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